Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I refer to remarks that were made yesterday at the annual meeting of prison officers. The figures for the prison system at this time are shocking. There are 157 people sleeping on mattresses on floors. There are cells with four bunks. The capacity of the women's prison is approximately one third of what is necessary. It is suggested in The Irish Timestoday that the Minister, Deputy Harris, is thinking of knocking down the separation unit in Mountjoy and rebuilding it to provide 100 extra spaces.

Years ago, as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, I inspected Mountjoy Prison on a number of occasions and came to the conclusion that it was wholly unsuitable to remain a prison. It is a 19th century institution and there is no real chance of rehabilitative activity taking place there. The State sold Shanganagh Castle to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and a private builder for €30 million, which was invested in buying 150 acres at Thornton Hall in north Dublin. That place was fitted out with new road access and the like and it has lain vacant ever since. It could provide a fantastically improved prison for the greater Dublin area.

I am not in favour of sending people to prison lightly. Most District Court judges who send young men to jail for small things like spitting at a garda or something like that should think twice about it. They can ruin those people's careers forever for something minor. However, there are 5.1 million people in this country now and we need extra prison capacity. I call for a debate in this House in which the Minister comes in and admits honestly the existence of the revolving door, the gross overcrowding and the inhumane conditions in our prisons, for which the UN Committee Against Torture will be on our case very soon. We need to adopt a strategy for the next 50 to 100 years, which will require finally admitting that Thornton Hall must be built.